This watchdog blog, by journalist Norman Oder, offers analysis, commentary, and reportage about the $4.9 billion project to build the Barclays Center arena and 16 high-rise buildings at a crucial site in Brooklyn. Dubbed Atlantic Yards by developer Forest City Ratner in 2003, it was rebranded Pacific Park in 2014 after the Chinese government-owned Greenland Group bought a 70% stake in 15 towers. New York State still calls it Atlantic Yards. Contact: AtlanticYardsReport[at]hotmail.com

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Forest City Ratner yesterday sent out a press release regarding the groundbreaking ceremony Thursday, to be held at 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Fifth and Atlantic avenues. (It's reproduced below, with contact info stripped out.)

Leaders of the state (Gov. David Paterson), city (Mayor Mike Bloomberg), and borough (Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz) are expected; it will be interesting to see how many local elected officials and community board officials choose to attend.

Also present will be developer Bruce Ratner, naming rights purchaser Bob Diamond of Barclays Capital, and entertain Jay-Z, who owns a tiny slice of the team. Unmentioned in the press release is prospective Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, scheduled to buy 80% of the team and 45% of the arena.Is it that Prokhorov hasn't been officially approved as owner? Or is it that significant subsidies, tax breaks, and the use of eminent domain looks a little different when the beneficiary is Russia's richest man?

Note that the press release, in contrast to a recent news report, suggests that the first residential building will begin this year. Actually, that's just design work; construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2011 (despite a statement from FCR about breaking ground in December).

(Images of the arena interior, at right for basketball and below for concerts, via the Post.)

Location

What exactly does the location 5th and Atlantic Avenues" mean?

It's unclear. But there likely will be a fence, and some sort of tent and/or stage--and enough security to keep out pesky protesters.

Will AYR be allowed in?

Note that only "officially credentialed press" will be allowed in, which can be used to keep out both self-appointed temporary journalists as well as yours truly.

I asked FCR spokesman Joe DePlasco and he said he'd check.

I'm not holding my breath. I wasn't allowed into the notorious Frank Gehry press conference in May 2006 but I was allowed into the January 2007 naming rights event, largely because I was covering it for the weekly Brooklyn Downtown Star.

But if it's a ban, it's a ridiculous one. They read my work. They know I know more about this project than the "officially credentialed journalists." They know that I'll likely cover the event in greater detail than afforded in print on on TV.

Sure, they generally ignore my questions, but when the Ridge Hill corruption case was announced in January, with Forest City Ratner involved but not indicted, DePlasco's firm sent me a press release so I could report FCR's statement.

If AYR was an important enough news outlet then, why isn't it now?

They know I'm likely to take a critical approach to the project and untangle misleading statements made by speakers. But they also know that I'll be careful; I'll be covering a public event, and any mistake or distortion is checkable and subject to correction or criticism.

This project has gained significant public subsidies and support. Shouldn't it be open to scrutiny?

While work has been ongoing at the site since last fall, and with the temporary rail yard completed last December, the March 11 groundbreaking ceremony will mark the next phase of construction on the 18,000-seat world-class sports and entertainment arena. The Barclays Center will host more than 200 events annually, including professional and collegiate sports, concerts, family shows, NETS Basketball, and much more. The first phase of Atlantic Yards will also include three residential buildings, with the first starting later this year.